Methods and Apparatus for Resource Reservation in Long Term Evolution - Machine Type Communications

ABSTRACT

A method includes receiving, by a first device from a second device, a higher layer message including reservation information for time and frequency domain network resources available for communicating with a plurality of wireless communication protocols; receiving, by the first device from the second device, a dynamically signaled message including a reservation indicator indicating a reservation status of a time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources for communicating using a wireless communication protocol; and communicating, by the first device, using machine type communications over the wireless communication protocol, the communicating occurring over an available time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/US2020/055050, filed on Oct. 9, 2020, entitled “Methods and Apparatus for Resource Reservation in Long Term Evolution-Machine Type Communications,” which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/932,227, filed on Nov. 7, 2019, entitled “Methods and Apparatus for Resource Reservation in Long Term Evolution-Machine Type Communications,” and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/932,244, filed on Nov. 7, 2019, entitled “Methods and Apparatus for Resource Reservation in Narrowband Internet of Things Communications,” which applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to methods and apparatus for digital communications, and, in particular embodiments, to methods and apparatus for resource reservation in Long Term Evolution-Machine Type Communications.

BACKGROUND

Current generation wireless communications systems provide high data rates for mobile communications devices to enable a rich multi-media environment for users of the mobile communications devices. However, the complexity of applications available to the users continues to increase, along with the need for increased throughput and lower latency.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect, a method implemented by a first device of a communication system supporting coexistence of a plurality of wireless communication protocols over a shared communication channel is provided. The method comprising: receiving, by the first device from a second device, a higher layer message including reservation information for time and frequency domain network resources available for communicating with the plurality of wireless communication protocols; receiving, by the first device from the second device, a dynamically signaled message including a reservation indicator indicating a reservation status of a time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources for communicating using a wireless communication protocol; and communicating, by the first device, using machine type communications over the wireless communication protocol, the communicating occurring over an available time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources.

In a first implementation form of the method according to the first aspect, the dynamically signaled message further including a resource assignment indicating the available time and frequency domain network resource.

In a second implementation form of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation form of the first aspect, further comprising selecting, by the first device, the available time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources, the selecting being in accordance with the reservation indicator.

In a third implementation form of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation form of the first aspect, the dynamically signaled message comprising a downlink control information (DCI) message.

In a fourth implementation form of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation form of the first aspect, the reservation indicator comprising a single bit indicator associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.

In a fifth implementation form of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation form of the first aspect, the reservation indicator being equal to 1 indicating the time and frequency domain network resource being available.

In a sixth implementation form of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation form of the first aspect, the reservation indicator being equal to 0 indicating follow the reservation information associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.

In a seventh implementation form of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation form of the first aspect, the reservation information comprising a bitmap associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.

In an eighth implementation form of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation form of the first aspect, the bitmap being 20 bits or 80 bits in length.

In a ninth implementation form of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation form of the first aspect, the reservation indicator comprising two bits, with a first bit corresponding to a first subframe of a slot and a second bit corresponding to a second subframe of the slot.

In a tenth implementation form of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation form of the first aspect, the reservation information comprising a bitmap with each bit of the bitmap corresponding to a symbol of a slot.

In an eleventh implementation form of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation form of the first aspect, the bitmap comprising 7 bits.

In a twelfth implementation form of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation form of the first aspect, the first device comprising a user equipment (UE) and the second device comprising an access node.

In a thirteenth implementation form of the method according to the first aspect or any preceding implementation form of the first aspect, the time and frequency domain network resources comprising PRBs or sets of PRBs.

According to a second aspect, a method implemented by a first device of a communication system supporting coexistence of a plurality of wireless communication protocols over a shared communication channel is provided. The method comprising: sending, by the first device to a second device, a higher layer message including reservation information for time and frequency domain network resources available for communicating over the plurality of wireless communication protocols; sending, by the first device to the second device, a dynamically signaled message including a reservation indicator indicating a reservation status of a time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources for communicating using a wireless communication protocol; and communicating, by the first device, using machine type communications over the wireless communication protocol, the communicating being in accordance with the reservation indicator.

In a first implementation form of the method according to the second aspect, the dynamically signaled message further including a resource assignment indicating an available time and frequency domain network resource, and the communicating occurring over the available time and frequency domain network resource.

In a second implementation form of the method according to the second aspect or any preceding implementation form of the second aspect, the reservation indicator comprising a single bit indicator associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.

In a third implementation form of the method according to the second aspect or any preceding implementation form of the second aspect, the reservation indicator being equal to 1 indicating the time and frequency domain network resource being available.

In a fourth implementation form of the method according to the second aspect or any preceding implementation form of the second aspect, the reservation indicator being equal to 0 indicating follow the reservation information associated with the time and frequency domain network resources.

In a fifth implementation form of the method according to the second aspect or any preceding implementation form of the second aspect, the reservation information comprising a bitmap associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.

According to a third aspect, a first device is provided. The first device comprising: one or more processors; and a non-transitory memory storage comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first device to: receive, from a second device, a higher layer message including reservation information for time and frequency domain network resources available for communicating with a plurality of wireless communication protocols; receive, from the second device, a dynamically signaled message including a reservation indicator indicating a reservation status of a time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources for communicating using a wireless communication protocol; and communicating using machine type communications over the wireless communication protocol, the communicating occurring over an available time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources.

In a first implementation form of the first device according to the third aspect, the dynamically signaled message further including a resource assignment indicating the available time and frequency domain network resource.

In a second implementation form of the first device according to the third aspect or any preceding implementation form of the third aspect, the instructions further causing the first device to select the available time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources, the available time and frequency domain network resource being selected in accordance with the reservation indicator.

In a third implementation form of the first device according to the third aspect or any preceding implementation form of the third aspect, the reservation indicator comprising a single bit indicator associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.

In a fourth implementation form of the first device according to the third aspect or any preceding implementation form of the third aspect, the reservation indicator being equal to 1 indicating the reservation status of the time and frequency domain network resource being available.

In a fifth implementation form of the first device according to the third aspect or any preceding implementation form of the third aspect, the reservation indicator being equal to 0 indicating follow the reservation information associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.

In a sixth implementation form of the first device according to the third aspect or any preceding implementation form of the third aspect, the reservation indicator comprising a bitmap associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.

According to a fourth aspect, a first device is provided. The first device comprising: one or more processors; and a non-transitory memory storage comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first device to: send, to a second device, a higher layer message including reservation information for time and frequency domain network resources available for communicating over a plurality of wireless communication protocols; send, to the second device, a dynamically signaled message including a reservation indicator indicating a reservation status of a time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources for communicating using a wireless communication protocol; and communicate using machine type communications over the wireless communication protocol, the communicating being in accordance with the reservation indicator.

In a first implementation form of the first device according to the fourth aspect, the dynamically signaled message further including a resource assignment indicating an available time and frequency domain network resource, and the communicating occurring over the available time and frequency domain network resource.

In a second implementation form of the first device according to the fourth aspect or any preceding implementation form of the fourth aspect, the reservation indicator comprising a single bit indicator associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.

In a third implementation form of the first device according to the fourth aspect or any preceding implementation form of the fourth aspect, the reservation indicator being equal to 1 indicating the time and frequency domain network resource being available.

In a fourth implementation form of the first device according to the fourth aspect or any preceding implementation form of the fourth aspect, the reservation indicator being equal to 0 indicating follow the reservation information associated with the time and frequency domain network resources.

In a fifth implementation form of the first device according to the fourth aspect or any preceding implementation form of the fourth aspect, the reservation information comprising a bitmap associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.

An advantage of a preferred embodiment is that Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) Machine Type Communications (MTC) do not collide with LTE or New Radio (NR) communications while preserving spectral efficiency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example communications system;

FIG. 2 illustrates a subframe highlighting the DMRS for a single PRB;

FIG. 3A illustrates a time-frequency resource grid with the time-frequency resources allocated in a FDM manner according to example embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 3B illustrates time-frequency resource grid highlighting resource reservations to change an existing time-frequency resource allocation according to example embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 3C illustrates time-frequency resource grid highlighting further resource reservations to override an existing time-frequency resource allocation according to example embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example bitmap highlighting reserved symbols according to example embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 5 illustrates a bitmap for an LTE-MTC DL slot-level subframe configuration over toms according to example embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 6 illustrates a diagram of messages exchanged between devices reserving resources and communicating over the reserved resources according to example embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram of example operations occurring in an access node reserving resources and communicating over the reserved resources according to example embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 8 illustrates a flow diagram of example operations occurring in a UE receiving reservation indications of reserved resources and communicating over the reserved resources according to example embodiments presented herein;

FIG. 9 illustrates an example communication system according to example embodiments presented herein;

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate example devices that may implement the methods and teachings according to this disclosure; and

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a computing system that may be used for implementing the devices and methods disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The structure and use of disclosed embodiments are discussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that the present disclosure provides many applicable concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific structure and use of embodiments, and do not limit the scope of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example communications system 100. Communications system 100 includes an access node 105 serving user equipments (UEs), such as UEs 110-118. In a first operating mode, communications to and from a UE passes through access node 105. In a second operating mode, communications to and from a UE do not pass through access node 105, however, access node 105 typically allocates resources used by the UE to communicate when specific conditions are met. As shown in FIG. 1, UE 116 and UE 118 are communicating to each other without interaction with access node 105. Communication between a UE and access node pair occur over uni-directional communication links, where the communication links between the UE and the access node are referred to as uplinks, and the communication links between the access node and UE is referred to as downlinks.

Access nodes may also be commonly referred to as Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), next generation (NG) Node Bs (gNBs), master eNBs (MeNBs), secondary eNBs (SeNBs), master gNBs (MgNBs), secondary gNBs (SgNBs), network controllers, control nodes, base stations, access points, transmission points (TPs), transmission-reception points (TRPs), cells, carriers, macro cells, femtocells, pico cells, and so on, while UEs may also be commonly referred to as mobile stations, mobiles, terminals, users, subscribers, stations, and the like. Access nodes may provide wireless access in accordance with one or more wireless communication protocols, e.g., the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE), LTE advanced (LTE-A), 5G, 5G LTE, 5G New Radio (NR), sixth generation (6G), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, such as 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ad/ax/ay/be, etc. While it is understood that communications systems may employ multiple access nodes capable of communicating with a number of UEs, only one access node and five UEs are illustrated for simplicity.

Resource reservation is a technique where resources that are not used for transmission are configured for other purposes. For LTE machine type communications (LTE-MTC), a short range low power wireless communication protocol, a transmission could last for an extended amount of time, especially for deep coverage UEs. Because LTE-MTC can be deployed in bands where LTE or NR is also deployed, in order to improve performance and avoid overlapping, a resource reservation is used to allow coexistence of LTE-MTC with LTE or NR in case of overlapping carriers. A similar mechanism is also used for NR resources in the downlink in case of overlapping of NR and LTE carriers, where a downlink control information (DCI) scheduling physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) can indicate a rate-matching pattern that allows reserving resources elements where PDSCH and demodulation reference signals (DMRS) cannot be mapped.

In LTE and LTE-MTC communication systems, each physical resource block (PRB) in a resource grid is defined as a slot of 7 consecutive OFDM symbols in the time domain and 12 consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain, i.e., each resource block contains 12×7 resource elements (REs). When used as a frequency-domain unit, a PRB is 12 consecutive subcarriers. There are 7 symbols in a slot when a normal cyclic prefix is used and 6 symbols in a slot when an extended cyclic prefix is used. The duration of a symbol is inversely proportional to the subcarrier spacing (SCS) which is 15 kHz, and the duration of a slot is 0.5 ms.

In NR mobile broadband (MBB), each PRB-pair in a resource grid is defined as a slot of 14 consecutive OFDM symbols in the time domain and 12 consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain, i.e., each resource block contains 12×14 REs. There are 14 symbols in a slot when a normal cyclic prefix is used and 12 symbols in a slot when an extended cyclic prefix is used. The duration of a symbol is inversely proportional to the SCS. For a {15, 30, 60, or 120} kHz SCS, the duration of a slot is {1, 0.5, 0.25, or 0.125} ms, respectively.

Each PRB may be allocated to any combination of control channels, shared channels, feedback channels, reference signals, and so on. In addition, some REs of a PRB may be reserved. A communication resource may be a PRB, a set of PRBs, a code (if code division multiple access (CDMA) is used, similarly as for the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)), a physical sequence, a set of REs, and so on.

In LTE-MTC and NR deployments occurring in the same carrier or carriers, it would then be possible to have a collision between NR and LTE-MTC transmissions. Some LTE-MTC resources can be reserved to avoid this overlap repeatedly with NR services. One example is for a NR ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) service that uses several contiguous resource blocks for a single transmission due to the high reliability and tight latency requirements. Based on the flexible NR scheduling, a resource reservation for LTE-MTC is introduced with subframe/slot/symbol granularity for both downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) transmissions. A reserved resource is labelled as an invalid resource (in the sense that LTE-MTC transmission cannot use that resource). Reserved resources are configured by higher layer parameters, and are therefore a semi-static or slow configuration in nature.

According to an example embodiment, in addition to the configuration of resources (e.g., a resource reservation), reserved resources can be signaled to the UE via physical layer signaling in order to dynamically adapt the availability of resources for LTE-MTC transmission to the NR scheduling. As an example, dynamic downlink control information (DCI)

In an embodiment, dynamic DCI signaling may be used to indicate which reserved resources may actually be used for the scheduled LTE-MTC transmission. Dynamic signaling is useful if the access node schedules the LTE-MTC transmission in resources that were configured as reserved resources. The resource granularity indicated by the dynamic DCI signaling can be of the same or finer granularity of the configured reserved resources by higher layer signaling. For example, if a subframe is configured as reserved (i.e., an invalid subframe) by higher layer signaling, the dynamic signaling can indicate that a LTE-MTC transmission can take place in that subframe (in this case, the DCI signaling indicates the same granularity for the reserved resources with respect to the granularity of the configured reserved resources by higher layer signaling) or in a portion of the subframe (in this case, the DCI signaling indicates a finer granularity for the reserved resources with respect to the granularity of the configured reserved resources by higher layer signaling). The DCI field for UL or DL transmission is only present if a higher layer parameter indicating reserved resources is configured for the UL (e.g., reserved-resource-config-UL) or DL (e.g., reserved-resource-config-DL), respectively.

In an embodiment, dynamic DCI signaling may be used to indicate, as reserved, for example, a resource that is configured by higher layer signaling as being reserved or available. Dynamic DCI signaling may be used to indicate, as available, for example, a resource configured by higher layer signaling as being reserved or available. A resource can be a subframe, a slot, a group of symbols, one symbol, etc.

In the UL, reference signals (RS) are transmitted by the device and used by the access node to estimate the UL channel to demodulate the UL channels and perform quality measurements. Such a RS is referred to as a DMRS. The DMRS is transmitted in each slot in the UL, and the bandwidth of the DMRS is equal to the channel bandwidth of the associated uplink channel: 1-6 PRBs for PUSCH, and 1 PRB for PUCCH. The DMRS is transmitted in each slot in the 4th symbol.

FIG. 2 illustrates a subframe 200 highlighting the DMRS for a single PRB. One possible higher layer configuration is to reserve all symbols in a subframe except symbols #4 205 and #11 207 (which are carrying the DMRS and cannot be configured as reserved symbols), such as symbols 210. The DCI signaling that indicates which symbols (configured as reserved) can be used for LTE-MTC transmission excludes the 2 symbols (i.e., symbols #4 205 and #11 207) in a subframe where the DMRS is transmitted. Alternatively, the higher layer configuration of reserved resources can be performed independently of the DMRS mapping, allowing all symbols to be configured as reserved.

In the DL, RS are mapped to different REs depending on the reference signal configuration. One possible higher layer configuration is to reserve all symbols in a subframe except the symbols carrying the DL RS, e.g., the cell-specific RS (CRS), which cannot be configured as reserved symbols. The DCI signaling that indicates which symbols (configured as reserved) can be used for LTE-MTC transmission excludes such symbols in a subframe. An advantage in a situation where a bitmap is being used for DCI signal is that a smaller (e.g., shorter) bitmap may be used because the symbols configured as reserved symbols are excluded from the bitmap. Alternatively, the higher layer configuration of reserved resources can be performed independently of the CRS mapping. Alternatively, the higher layer configuration of reserved resources can be performed independently of the DMRS mapping, allowing all symbols to be configured as reserved.

According to an example embodiment, in the frequency domain, some PRBs can be configured as reserved resources by higher layer signaling. A resource comprises one or a group of PRBs. In an embodiment, a bitmap is used to configure a resource reservation in the frequency domain, with one bit per resource. In an embodiment, DCI signaling can be used to indicate which PRBs can instead be used for the UL (or the DL) LTE-MTC transmissions.

In an embodiment, the DCI signaling comprises a field indicating a resource reservation in the frequency domain, and is used in signaling which PRB carries (or PRBs carry) the LTE-MTC transmission.

In an embodiment, in a situation where resources are configured as reserved by higher layer signaling, the DCI signaling indicates a resource reservation in the frequency domain indicating which frequency resource carries (or resources carry) the LTE-MTC transmission independently.

According to an example embodiment, in the time domain, some symbols can be configured as reserved resources by higher layer signaling. In an embodiment, a bitmap is used to configure a resource reservation in the time domain. In an embodiment, DCI signaling can be used to indicate which symbols can instead be used for the UL (or the DL) LTE-MTC transmissions.

In an embodiment, the DCI signaling comprises a field indicating a resource reservation in the time domain, signaling which symbol carries (or symbols carry) the LTE-MTC transmission.

In an embodiment, in a situation where resources are configured as reserved by higher layer signaling, the DCI signaling indicates a resource reservation in the time domain indicating which time resource carries (or resources carry) the LTE-MTC transmission independently.

According to an example embodiment, in the time and frequency domains, some resources can be configured as reserved resources by higher layer signaling. In an embodiment, a bitmap is used to configure a resource reservation in the time and frequency domains. In an embodiment, DCI signaling can be used to indicate which resources can instead be used for the UL (or the DL) LTE-MTC transmissions.

In an embodiment, the DCI signaling comprises a field to indicate a resource reservation in the time and frequency domains, signaling which resource carries (or resources carry) the LTE-MTC transmission. The field in the DCI signaling may be referred to as a reservation indicator or a reservation indication. The reservation indicator indicates the reservation status of a time and frequency domain resource, for example

FIG. 3A illustrates a time-frequency resource grid 300 with the time-frequency resources allocated in a FDM manner. As shown in FIG. 3A, time-frequency resource grid 300 includes three 1 ms subframes with the time-frequency resources allocated for LTE or NR transmissions, as well as eMTC transmissions, in a FDM manner. The allocation of the time-frequency resources in a FDM manner means that the resources are allocated on a frequency basis, with resources allocated for a first type of transmissions (e.g., LTE or NR transmissions) are separated from resources allocated for a second type of transmissions (e.g., eMTC transmissions). Resources 305 allocated for LTE or NR transmissions are in a first frequency range, while resources 307 allocated for eMTC transmissions are in a second frequency range. The allocation of the time-frequency resources may be performed utilizing higher layer signaling. The configuring of the time-frequency resources may utilize a bitmap, for example. In FIG. 3A, more resources are allocated to resources 305. However, the resources allocated to any type of transmission may change, to meet communication requirements, for example. Therefore the illustration of more resources being allocated to LTE or NR transmissions than eMTC transmissions should not be construed as being limiting to the scope of the example embodiments.

FIG. 3B illustrates time-frequency resource grid 300 highlighting resource reservations to change an existing time-frequency resource allocation. As shown in FIG. 3B, time-frequency resources of time-frequency resource grid 300 are allocated in a FDM manner, with resources 305 being allocated for LTE or NR transmissions are in a first frequency range, while resources 307 are allocated for eMTC transmissions are in a second frequency range. The reservation of the resources in time-frequency resource grid 300 may be specified using reservation information provided in a higher layer message. However, dynamic signaling (e.g., DCI signaling) may be used to change an existing time-frequency resource allocation.

As shown in FIG. 3B, resources 320 have been configured so that no eMTC transmissions are permitted on resources 320. As discussed herein, the allocation of the time-frequency resources using higher layer signaling may be changed using dynamic signaling, such as DCI signaling. As an example, the allocation of the resources of resources 320 may be changed on a subframe, a slot, a symbol, or a group of symbols basis by the dynamic signaling, as will be shown in FIG. 3C. Resources 320, as shown in FIG. 3B, are configured so that no eMTC transmission can take place.

FIG. 3C illustrates time-frequency resource grid 300 highlighting further resource reservations to override an existing time-frequency resource allocation. As an example, resources 320 have previously been configured to prevent eMTC transmissions (as shown in FIG. 3B), using reservation information in a higher layer message, for example. However, some or all of the resources of resources 320 may be reconfigured to allow eMTC transmissions. A trace 340 represents dynamic signaling that indicates the enabling of eMTC transmissions on resources. In other words, trace 340 represents the overriding of the configuration of resources. As shown in FIG. 3C, when trace 340 is high (shown in highlight 345), resources 320 (which were previously allocated for eMTC transmissions by higher layer signaling but subsequently configured to not allow eMTC transmissions (as shown in FIG. 3B)) are overridden to support eMTC transmissions. Although shown in FIG. 3C as overriding existing resource configurations when logically high, trace 340 may be configured to override existing resource configurations when logically low. In such a situation, trace 340 would be a logical inverse of what is shown in FIG. 3C.

According to an example embodiment, the reservation indication of reserved resources for a DL or UL transmission is sent in the DCI, with a DCI field for resource reservation being 1 bit in size. As an example, the DCI field being set to a value 0 indicates that the first slot of the subframe is used for LTE-MTC transmission, either all symbols in the slot or, for example, all symbols except symbols #4 in the UL (due to the presence of the DMRS in symbol #4). As another example, the DCI field being set to a value 1 indicates that the second slot of the subframe is used for LTE-MTC transmission, either all symbols in the slot or, for example, all symbols except symbols #10 in the UL (due to the presence of the DMRS in symbol #10). A reversal of the values may alternatively be used. The other slot of the subframe (e.g., the second slot when the DCI field is set to value 0, or the first slot when the DCI field is set to value 1) remains reserved.

Alternatively, the DCI field being set to a value 1 indicates that the first slot of the subframe is used for LTE-MTC transmission, either all symbols in the slot or for example all symbols except symbols #4 in the UL (due to the presence of the DMRS in symbol #4), while the DCI field being set to a value 0 indicates that the second slot of the subframe is used for LTE-MTC transmission, either all symbols in the slot or for example all symbols except symbols #10 in the UL (due to the presence of the DMRS in symbol #10). The other slot of the subframe (i.e., the second slot when value 1 is used, or the first slot when value 0 is used) remains reserved.

According to an example embodiment, the reservation indication of reserved resources for a DL or UL transmission is sent in the DCI, with a DCI field for resource reservation being 2 bits {b0, b1} in size. As an example:

-   -   Value 00 indicates that the subframe is used for LTE-MTC         transmission (all symbols in the subframe, or all symbols where         DMRS is not present for the UL, or where CRS is not present for         the DL);     -   Value 01 indicates that the first slot of the subframe is used         for LTE-MTC transmission (all symbols in the first slot, or all         symbols in the first slot where DMRS is not present or where CRS         is not present);     -   Value 10 indicates that the second slot of the subframe is used         for LTE-MTC transmission (all symbols in the second slot, or all         symbols in the second slot where DMRS is not present or where         CRS is not present); and     -   Value 11 is unused or reserved (for later use, for example).

Alternate definitions of the value of the DCI field are possible.

As an alternative example, the following example DCI field values are possible:

-   -   Value 00 is unused or reserved;     -   Value 10 indicates that the first slot of the subframe is used         for LTE-MTC transmission (all symbols in the first slot, or all         symbols in the first slot where DMRS is not present or where CRS         is not present);     -   Value 01 indicates that the second slot of the subframe is used         for LTE-MTC transmission (all symbols in the second slot, or all         symbols in the second slot where DMRS is not present or where         CRS is not present); and     -   Value 11 indicates that the subframe is used for LTE-MTC         transmission (all symbols in the subframe, or all symbols in the         subframe where DMRS is not present or where CRS is not present).

According to an example embodiment, the reservation indication of reserved resources for a DL or UL transmission is sent in a DCI, with a DCI field for resource reservation being 3 bits in size. As an example, the DCI field is set to the following values to indicate:

-   -   Value 0 (000) indicates all symbols in the subframe can be used         for LTE-MTC transmission;     -   Value 1 (001) indicates symbols in the first slot: symbols #0 to         #6 for UL and symbols #0 to #4 for DL are used for LTE-MTC         transmission;     -   Value 2 (010) indicates symbols #0,#1,#2 are used for LTE-MTC         transmission;     -   Value 3 (011) indicates symbols #3,#4,#5,#6 for UL, and symbols         #3,#4 for DL are used for LTE-MTC transmission;     -   Value 4 (100) indicates symbols #3 to #8 for UL, and symbols         #3,#4,#7,#8 for DL are used for LTE-MTC transmission;     -   Value 5 (101) indicates symbols #7,#8,#9 are used for LTE-MTC         transmission;     -   Value 6 (110) indicates symbols #10,#11,#12,#13 for UL, and         symbols #10,#11 for DL are used for LTE-MTC transmission; and     -   Value 7 (iii) indicates symbols in the second slot: symbols #7         to #13 for UL and symbols #7 to #11 for DL are used for LTE-MTC         transmission.

Alternate definitions of the value of the DCI field are possible.

The symbols and value assignments illustrated herein are for discussion purposes only. Other possible symbol and value assignments are possible.

According to an example embodiment, a reservation indication indicates the status of symbols in a group of symbols. As an example, the reservation indication set to a value 1 indicates that the symbols in a group of symbols can be used for LTE-MTC transmissions, while the reservation indication set to a value 0 indicates that the symbols indicates that the symbols in a group of symbols cannot be used for LTE-MTC transmissions. Alternate definitions of the value of the reservation indication are possible.

In an embodiment, the groups of symbols are as follows:

-   -   For the UL: symbols 0-2, 3-6, 7-9, and 10-13.     -   For the DL: symbols 0-2, 3-4, 7-9, and 10-11.         The groups are configured so that some groups are the same for         the UL and the DL, as well as a DL group being a subset of an UL         group. The groups have substantially the same size (within one         symbol). Other groupings are possible, such as, in the UL:         symbols 0-3, 4-6, 7-10, and 11-13. As another example, in the         DL: symbols 0-1, 2-4, 7-8, and 9-11. Other grouping         configurations are possible with 3 or 4 groups in the UL and 2         or 3 groups in the DL.

In an embodiment, a bit pattern would indicate a value of 1 or 0 for all four groups. As an example, 1 bit may indicate: 1100 or 0011. As another example, 2 bits may indicate: 1100, 0011, or 1111. The 2-bit indicator may indicate: reserved, not used, or 1110 (if the SRS is still present even if NR PUSCH is not available for the 15 kHz SCS, for example). As yet another example, 3 bits may indicate: 1100, 1000, 0100, 0010, 0001, 0011, or 1111. The 3-bit indicator may indicate: reserved, not used, or 1110 (if the SRS is still present even if NR PUSCH is not available for the 15 kHz SCS, for example). As yet another example, 4 bits may indicate for all of the groups, with bit combination 0000 being unused or reserved.

As an alternative, as all of the above presented embodiments with the disclosed roles of the values 0 and 1 reversed.

According to an example embodiment, the reservation indication of reserved resources for a DL or UL transmission is sent in the DCI, with a DCI field for resource reservation being 1+FX bits in size, where 1 bit is used to indicate which slot in a subframe is reserved (for a time domain reservation), and X bits are used to indicate which group of subcarriers or PRBs is reserved (for a frequency domain reservation).

As an example of a time domain reservation (e.g., the 1 bit of the 1+FX bit DCI field) is as follows:

-   -   A value 0 indicates that the first slot of the subframe is used         for LTE-MTC transmission, either all symbols in the slot or some         of the symbols when some symbols are conveying reference         signals. A value 1 indicates that the second slot of the         subframe is used for LTE-MTC transmission, either all symbols in         the slot or some of the symbols when some symbols are conveying         reference signals. The other slot of the subframe (the one not         indicated by the value) remains reserved.     -   Alternatively, a value 1 indicates that the first slot of the         subframe is used for LTE-MTC transmission, either all symbols in         the slot or some of the symbols when some symbols are conveying         reference signals. A value 0 indicates that the second slot of         the subframe is used for LTE-MTC transmission, either all         symbols in the slot or some of the symbols when some symbols are         conveying reference signals. The other slot of the subframe         remains reserved.

As an example of a frequency domain reservation, the value of X is 1, 2, 3, . . . , n, to indicate the group of subcarriers or PRBs used for LTE-MTC transmission, where n is the number of subcarrier groups.

According to an example embodiment, dynamic DCI signaling is used to indicate that a resource is reserved or not reserved. A resource can be a subframe, a slot, a group of symbols, one symbol, a group of subcarriers, etc. As an example, a bitmap-based higher layer signaling indicates that subframe #3 is not reserved (hence, the UE can expect a LTE-MTC transmission in subframe #3). The DCI signaling can indicate that:

-   -   the first slot is not reserved and the second slot is reserved;     -   the first slot is reserved and the second slot is not reserved;         or     -   the first slot is reserved and the second slot is reserved.         As another example, a bitmap-based higher layer signaling         indicates that subframe #3 is not reserved (hence, the UE can         expect a LTE-MTC transmission in subframe #3). The DCI signaling         can indicate resource reservation for a group of symbols,         assuming the symbols of the subframe are grouped in 3 groups:     -   group 1 is reserved, group 2 and group 3 are not reserved;     -   all other combinations, including the case that the all 3 groups         are reserved.         Examples with other numbers of groups and resources per group         are possible.

According to an example embodiment, for a UL transmission, the resource reservation indication is a field in DCI format 6-0A/format 6-1A, and this DCI field is present if a resource reservation for UL is configured.

According to an example embodiment, for a DL transmission, the resource reservation indication is a field in DCI format 6-0B/format 6-1B, and this DCI field is present if a resource reservation for DL is configured.

According to an example embodiment, symbol-level resource reservation may be performed to enable fine granularity in the resource reservation process.

According to an example embodiment, for symbol-level reserved resource configuration per subframe, a bitmap-based configuration can be used to indicate which symbol is configured as the reserved resource.

According to an embodiment, in a situation with symbol-level resource reservation per slot, a bitmap-based configuration can be used to indicate which symbol is configured as the reserved resource.

According to an example embodiment, in a situation for symbol-level reserved resource configuration per group of symbols, a bitmap-based configuration can be used to indicate which symbol is configured as the reserved resource.

According to an embodiment, in a situation with a subframe, slot, or symbol reserved pattern, in the DL, the configuration signaling is a bitmap where 10 bits indicate whether a subframe is reserved, 2 bits indicate whether a slot is reserved and 5 (or 7) bits indicate whether a symbol is reserved.

According to an example embodiment, in a situation with slot-level reserved resource configurations in the DL, the configuration signaling is a bitmap of 20 or 80 bits where each bit indicates whether a slot is reserved for LTE-MTC transmission. The bitmap may further comprise symbol bitmaps, as shown in FIG. 4, the symbol indications may be provided for none, one, or both of the slots of a subframe, for example.

According to an example embodiment, assuming the pattern of slot-reserved is the same for all subframes, a bitmap can be used to indicate which subframes have at least one reserved slot and which one of the two slots is reserved.

According to an example embodiment, assuming the pattern of slot-reserved is the same for all subframes, a bitmap can be used to indicate which subframes have at least one reserved slot and which one of the two slots is reserved.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example bitmap 400 highlighting reserved symbols. As an example, if a bitmap 0 405 comprises a single bit with value 0, meaning that the first symbol is reserved. As another example, if a bitmap 1 407 comprises a single bit value 1, meaning that the second symbol is available. Bitmap 400 may be used for a situation where it is assumed that each of the 7 symbols in the first slot and 7 symbols in the second slot, 14 symbols in all, may be reserved, and the reserved symbols are shown as shaded boxes and available symbols are shown as unshaded boxes. Bitmap 400 corresponds to a case where x=7 bits per slot, with a first x=7 bits corresponding to a first slot of a subframe (pair of slots) and a second x=7 bits corresponding to a second slot of a subframe. A bitmap of reserved symbols may be provided for none, one, or both of the slots of a subframe.

FIG. 5 illustrates a bitmap 500 for an LTE-MTC DL slot-level subframe configuration over toms. As shown in FIG. 5, bitmap 500 includes slot indicators for each subframe, such as, slot indicator 505 and 507 for subframe 510. If the configuration is over 40 ms, the bitmap has size of 80 bits. As an illustrative example, the first/leftmost bit (e.g., slot indicator 505) corresponds to the first slot of subframe #0 of the radio frame satisfying SFN mod x=0, where x is the size of the bit string divided by 10. The second bit (e.g., slot indicator 507) corresponds to the second slot of the subframe #0, and so on. A value 0 in the bitmap indicates that the corresponding slot is invalid for downlink transmission, while a value 1 in the bitmap indicates that the corresponding slot is valid for downlink transmission. A reversal of the value assignments or an alternate subframe arrangement is possible.

An example DL-Bitmap-NB-reserved-resources IE is as follows:

-- ASN1START DL-Bitmap-NB-reserved-slot-r16 ::=  CHOICE {  subframePattern10-r16 BIT STRING (SIZE (20)),  subframePattern40-r16 BIT STRING (SIZE (80)) } -- ASN1STOP.

According to an example embodiment, a combination of higher layer signaling and physical layer signal is used to reserve resources. As an example, a higher layer signaling is used to configure the physical layer signaling. The indication of the reserved resources, e.g., reserved resource assignment, is carried by the DCI signaling which is configured by higher layer signaling.

In an embodiment, the size of the DCI field is a variable number of bits, e.g., size m, where the size of the DCI field depends on the number of entries configured by the higher layer. As an example, the DCI bits reference a higher layer parameter (e.g., a list), and at higher layers a number of table values are selected. The higher layer parameter defines a pattern for the reserved resources: for example, all symbols in a slot are reserved, all symbols but the last two symbols are reserved, etc. The table values can be defined in physical layer or in higher layers.

In an embodiment, the variable number of values selected from the table allows a device to reserve resources with flexible granularity depending on the number of values selected and on the granularity with which the table is constructed. Each selected value can refer to one symbol or to a group of symbols, and indicates whether the corresponding symbol or group of symbols is reserved.

Alternatively, the number of bits in the DCI is fixed, and the maximum number of table values that may be selected is less than or equal to 2 to the number of bits in the DCI. DCI bit entries beyond the configured table size are considered reserved and either are not sent by the access node or not expected by the UE.

In an example, the following information is transmitted by the DCI:

reserved resources assignment—0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 bits.

The bitwidth for this field is determined as ┌log_(2 (I))┐ bits, where I is the number of entries in the higher layer parameter reserved-time-allocation-config-UL (or reserved-time-allocation-config-DL, for example) if the higher layer parameter is configured; otherwise I is the number of entries in the default table.

When the UE is scheduled to transmit a transport block, the reserved resources assignment field value m of the DCI provides a row index m+1 to an allocated table. In the table, the indexed row defines the pattern of resource reservation. Each value in the pattern can refer to one symbol or to a group of symbols. An exemplary table is given below, with 3 bits row index, where there are 4 groups of symbols. The group of symbols for UL are: 0 to 2, 3 to 6, 7 to 9, 10 to 13.

Resource reservation Row index mapping Symbols reserved 1 1100 0 to 2, 3 to 6, 2 1000 0 to 2 3 0100 3 to 6 4 0010 7 to 9 5 0001 10 to 13 6 0011 7 to 9, 10 to 13 7 1111 0 to 2, 3 to 6, 7 to 9, 10 to 13 8 1100 Reserved or Not used

Other examples of groups are for DL: 0 to 2, 3 to 4, 7 to 9, 10 to 11. Other groups are possible, such as UL: 0 to 3, 4 to 6, 7 to 10, 11 to 13. Another DL example is: 0 to 1, 2 to 4, 7 to 8, 9 to 11. Other possibilities with 3 or 4 in UL and 2 or 3 in DL are straightforward.

For example, 1 bit could indicate:

Resource reservation Row index mapping Symbols reserved 1 1100 0 to 2, 3 to 6, 2 0011 7 to 9, 10 to 13 For example 2 bits could indicate:

Resource reservation Row index mapping Symbols reserved 1 1100 0 to 2, 3 to 6, 2 0001 10 to 13 3 1111 0 to 2, 3 to 6, 7 to 9, 10 to 13 4 1100 Reserved or Not used

In another example, where the reserved resource is in frequency domain, and the resource comprises one or a group of subcarriers, or one or a group of PRBs, the following information is transmitted by the DCI:

reserved resources assignment—0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 bits. The bitwidth for this field is determined as ┌log_(2 (I))┐ bits, where I is the number of entries in the higher layer parameter reserved-frequency-allocation-config-UL (or reserved-frequency-allocation-config-DL, for example) if the higher layer parameter is configured; otherwise I is the number of entries in the default table.

When the UE is scheduled to transmit a transport block, the reserved resources assignment field value m of the DCI provides a row index m+1 to an allocated table. In the table, the indexed row defines the pattern of resource reservation. Each value in the pattern can refer to one or a group of subcarriers, or one or a group of PRBs, the following information is transmitted by the DCI.

FIG. 6 illustrates a diagram 600 of messages exchanged between devices reserving resources and communicating over the reserved resources. Diagram 600 illustrates messages exchanged between a UE 605 and an access node 607 as the devices reserve resources and communicate over the reserved resources.

Access node 607 sends an indication of reserved frequency and time resources (event 610). The indication of the reserved frequency and time resources may be transmitted over higher layer signaling, such as radio resource control signaling, for example. The frequency and time resources may be reserved in a FDM manner, such as discussed above. Access node 607 dynamically overrides reserved frequency and time resources (event 612). Access node 607 may dynamically override reserved frequency and time resources by sending a reservation indication indicating reserved resources, available resources, or a combination thereof. The reservation indication may be a single bit, or multiple bits. The resources may be subframes, slots, symbols, PRBs, groups of symbols, groups of PRBs, etc. The reservation indication may be dynamically sent using physical layer signaling, such as DCI signaling, for example. Access node 607 may also signal the scheduling of data channels in event 612. UE 605 communicates (event 614). UE 605 may communicate to access node 607, another device, or a combination of access node 607 and another device, in accordance with the reserved frequency and time resources and any overrides of the reserved frequency and time resources. UE 605 may use LTE, NR, eMTC, etc., as appropriate.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram of example operations 700 occurring in an access node reserving resources and communicating over the reserved resources. Operations 700 may be indicative of operations occurring in an access node as the access node reserves resources and communicates over the reserved resources.

Operations 700 begin with the access node sending an indication of reserved frequency and time resources (block 705). The indication of the reserved frequency and time resources may be transmitted over higher layer signaling, such as radio resource control signaling, for example. The frequency and time resources may be reserved in a FDM manner, such as discussed above. The access node dynamically overrides reserved frequency and time resources (block 707). The access node may dynamically override reserved frequency and time resources by sending a reservation indication indicating reserved resources, available resources, or a combination thereof. The reservation indication may be a single bit, or multiple bits. The resources may be subframes, slots, symbols, PRBs, groups of symbols, groups of PRBs, etc. The reservation indication may be dynamically sent using physical layer signaling, such as DCI signaling, for example. The access node may also signal the scheduling of data channels in block 707. The access node communicates in accordance with the reserved frequency and time resources and overrides (block 709). The access node may communicate with a UE, for example, using LTE, NR, eMTC, etc., as appropriate. Communicating with the UE may involve transmitting to the UE in a downlink transmission or receiving from the UE in an uplink transmission.

FIG. 8 illustrates a flow diagram of example operations 800 occurring in a UE receiving indications of reserved resources and communicating over the reserved resources. Operations 800 may be indicative of operations occurring in a UE as the UE receives indications of reserved resources and communicates over the reserved resources.

Operations 800 begin with the UE receiving an indication of reserved frequency and time resources (block 805). The indication of the reserved frequency and time resources may be received over higher layer signaling, such as radio resource control signaling, for example. The frequency and time resources may be reserved in a FDM manner, such as discussed above. The UE receives dynamically signaled overrides of reserved frequency and time resources (block 807). The UE may dynamically receive overrides of reserved frequency and time resources when receiving a reservation indication indicating reserved resources, available resources, or a combination thereof. The reservation indication may be a single bit, or multiple bits. The resources may be subframes, slots, symbols, PRBs, groups of symbols, groups of PRBs, etc. The reservation indication may be dynamically received using physical layer signaling, such as DCI signaling, for example. The UE may also receive the scheduling of data channels in block 807. The UE communicates in accordance with the reserved frequency and time resources and overrides (block 809). The UE may communicate with an access node, for example, using LTE, NR, eMTC, etc., as appropriate. Communicating with the access node may involve transmitting to the access node in an uplink transmission or receiving from the access node in a downlink transmission.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example communication system 900. In general, the system 900 enables multiple wireless or wired users to transmit and receive data and other content. The system 900 may implement one or more channel access methods, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), or non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA).

In this example, the communication system 900 includes electronic devices (ED) 910 a-910 c, radio access networks (RANs) 920 a-920 b, a core network 930, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 940, the Internet 950, and other networks 960. While certain numbers of these components or elements are shown in FIG. 9, any number of these components or elements may be included in the system 900.

The EDs 910 a-910 c are configured to operate or communicate in the system 900. For example, the EDs 910 a-910 c are configured to transmit or receive via wireless or wired communication channels. Each ED 910 a-910 c represents any suitable end user device and may include such devices (or may be referred to) as a user equipment or device (UE), wireless transmit or receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile subscriber unit, cellular telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop, computer, touchpad, wireless sensor, or consumer electronics device.

The RANs 920 a-920 b here include base stations 970 a-970 b, respectively. Each base station 970 a-970 b is configured to wirelessly interface with one or more of the EDs 910 a-910 c to enable access to the core network 930, the PSTN 940, the Internet 950, or the other networks 960. For example, the base stations 970 a-970 b may include (or be) one or more of several well-known devices, such as a base transceiver station (BTS), a Node-B (NodeB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a Next Generation (NG) NodeB (gNB), a Home NodeB, a Home eNodeB, a site controller, an access point (AP), or a wireless router. The EDs 910 a-910 c are configured to interface and communicate with the Internet 950 and may access the core network 930, the PSTN 940, or the other networks 960.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the base station 970 a forms part of the RAN 920 a, which may include other base stations, elements, or devices. Also, the base station 970 b forms part of the RAN 920 b, which may include other base stations, elements, or devices. Each base station 970 a-970 b operates to transmit or receive wireless signals within a particular geographic region or area, sometimes referred to as a “cell.” In some embodiments, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology may be employed having multiple transceivers for each cell.

The base stations 970 a-970 b communicate with one or more of the EDs 910 a-910 c over one or more air interfaces 990 using wireless communication links. The air interfaces 990 may utilize any suitable radio access technology.

It is contemplated that the system 900 may use multiple channel access functionality, including such schemes as described above. In particular embodiments, the base stations and EDs implement 5G New Radio (NR), LTE, LTE-A, or LTE-B. Of course, other multiple access schemes and wireless protocols may be utilized.

The RANs 920 a-920 b are in communication with the core network 930 to provide the EDs 910 a-910 c with voice, data, application, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), or other services. Understandably, the RANs 920 a-920 b or the core network 930 may be in direct or indirect communication with one or more other RANs (not shown). The core network 930 may also serve as a gateway access for other networks (such as the PSTN 940, the Internet 950, and the other networks 960). In addition, some or all of the EDs 910 a-710 c may include functionality for communicating with different wireless networks over different wireless links using different wireless technologies or protocols. Instead of wireless communication (or in addition thereto), the EDs may communicate via wired communication channels to a service provider or switch (not shown), and to the Internet 950.

Although FIG. 9 illustrates one example of a communication system, various changes may be made to FIG. 9. For example, the communication system 900 could include any number of EDs, base stations, networks, or other components in any suitable configuration.

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate example devices that may implement the methods and teachings according to this disclosure. In particular, FIG. 10A illustrates an example ED 1010, and FIG. 10B illustrates an example base station 1070. These components could be used in the system 900 or in any other suitable system.

As shown in FIG. 10A, the ED 1010 includes at least one processing unit 1000. The processing unit 1000 implements various processing operations of the ED 1010. For example, the processing unit 1000 could perform signal coding, data processing, power control, input/output processing, or any other functionality enabling the ED 1010 to operate in the system 900. The processing unit 1000 also supports the methods and teachings described in more detail above. Each processing unit 1000 includes any suitable processing or computing device configured to perform one or more operations. Each processing unit 1000 could, for example, include a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, field programmable gate array, or application specific integrated circuit.

The ED 1010 also includes at least one transceiver 1002. The transceiver 1002 is configured to modulate data or other content for transmission by at least one antenna or NIC (Network Interface Controller) 1004. The transceiver 1002 is also configured to demodulate data or other content received by the at least one antenna 1004. Each transceiver 1002 includes any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission or processing signals received wirelessly or by wire. Each antenna 1004 includes any suitable structure for transmitting or receiving wireless or wired signals. One or multiple transceivers 1002 could be used in the ED 1010, and one or multiple antennas 1004 could be used in the ED 1010. Although shown as a single functional unit, a transceiver 1002 could also be implemented using at least one transmitter and at least one separate receiver.

The ED 1010 further includes one or more input/output devices 1006 or interfaces (such as a wired interface to the Internet 950). The input/output devices 1006 facilitate interaction with a user or other devices (network communications) in the network. Each input/output device 1006 includes any suitable structure for providing information to or receiving information from a user, such as a speaker, microphone, keypad, keyboard, display, or touch screen, including network interface communications.

In addition, the ED 1010 includes at least one memory 1008. The memory 1008 stores instructions and data used, generated, or collected by the ED 1010. For example, the memory 1008 could store software or firmware instructions executed by the processing unit(s) woo and data used to reduce or eliminate interference in incoming signals. Each memory 1008 includes any suitable volatile or non-volatile storage and retrieval device(s). Any suitable type of memory may be used, such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disc, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, secure digital (SD) memory card, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 10B, the base station 1070 includes at least one processing unit 1050, at least one transceiver 1052, which includes functionality for a transmitter and a receiver, one or more antennas 1056, at least one memory 1058, and one or more input/output devices or interfaces 1066. A scheduler, which would be understood by one skilled in the art, is coupled to the processing unit 1050. The scheduler could be included within or operated separately from the base station 1070. The processing unit 1050 implements various processing operations of the base station 1070, such as signal coding, data processing, power control, input/output processing, or any other functionality. The processing unit 1050 can also support the methods and teachings described in more detail above. Each processing unit 1050 includes any suitable processing or computing device configured to perform one or more operations. Each processing unit 1050 could, for example, include a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, field programmable gate array, or application specific integrated circuit.

Each transceiver 1052 includes any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission to one or more EDs or other devices. Each transceiver 1052 further includes any suitable structure for processing signals received wirelessly or by wire from one or more EDs or other devices. Although shown combined as a transceiver 1052, a transmitter and a receiver could be separate components. Each antenna 1056 includes any suitable structure for transmitting or receiving wireless or wired signals. While a common antenna 1056 is shown here as being coupled to the transceiver 1052, one or more antennas 1056 could be coupled to the transceiver(s) 1052, allowing separate antennas 1056 to be coupled to the transmitter and the receiver if equipped as separate components. Each memory 1058 includes any suitable volatile or non-volatile storage and retrieval device(s). Each input/output device 1066 facilitates interaction with a user or other devices (network communications) in the network. Each input/output device 1066 includes any suitable structure for providing information to or receiving/providing information from a user, including network interface communications.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a computing system 1100 that may be used for implementing the devices and methods disclosed herein. For example, the computing system can be any entity of UE, access network (AN), mobility management (MM), session management (SM), user plane gateway (UPGW), or access stratum (AS). Specific devices may utilize all of the components shown or only a subset of the components, and levels of integration may vary from device to device. Furthermore, a device may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processing units, processors, memories, transmitters, receivers, etc. The computing system 1100 includes a processing unit 1102. The processing unit includes a central processing unit (CPU) 1114, memory 1108, and may further include a mass storage device 1104, a video adapter 1110, and an I/O interface 1112 connected to a bus 1120.

The bus 1120 may be one or more of any type of several bus architectures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, or a video bus. The CPU 1114 may comprise any type of electronic data processor. The memory 1108 may comprise any type of non-transitory system memory such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), read-only memory (ROM), or a combination thereof. In an embodiment, the memory 1108 may include ROM for use at boot-up, and DRAM for program and data storage for use while executing programs.

The mass storage 1104 may comprise any type of non-transitory storage device configured to store data, programs, and other information and to make the data, programs, and other information accessible via the bus 1120. The mass storage 1104 may comprise, for example, one or more of a solid state drive, hard disk drive, a magnetic disk drive, or an optical disk drive.

The video adapter 1110 and the I/O interface 1112 provide interfaces to couple external input and output devices to the processing unit 1102. As illustrated, examples of input and output devices include a display 1118 coupled to the video adapter 1110 and a mouse, keyboard, or printer 1116 coupled to the I/O interface 1112. Other devices may be coupled to the processing unit 1102, and additional or fewer interface cards may be utilized. For example, a serial interface such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) (not shown) may be used to provide an interface for an external device.

The processing unit 1102 also includes one or more network interfaces 1106, which may comprise wired links, such as an Ethernet cable, or wireless links to access nodes or different networks. The network interfaces 1106 allow the processing unit 1102 to communicate with remote units via the networks. For example, the network interfaces 1106 may provide wireless communication via one or more transmitters/transmit antennas and one or more receivers/receive antennas. In an embodiment, the processing unit 1102 is coupled to a local-area network 1122 or a wide-area network for data processing and communications with remote devices, such as other processing units, the Internet, or remote storage facilities.

It should be appreciated that one or more steps of the embodiment methods provided herein may be performed by corresponding units or modules. For example, a signal may be transmitted by a transmitting unit or a transmitting module. A signal may be received by a receiving unit or a receiving module. A signal may be processed by a processing unit or a processing module. Other steps may be performed by a selecting unit or module. The respective units or modules may be hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For instance, one or more of the units or modules may be an integrated circuit, such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving, by a first device from a second device, a higher layer message including reservation information for time and frequency domain network resources available for communications using a plurality of wireless communication protocols; receiving, by the first device from the second device, a dynamically signaled message including a reservation indicator indicating a reservation status of a time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources for communications using a wireless communication protocol; and communicating, by the first device, using machine type communications using the wireless communication protocol, the communicating occurring over an available time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources.
 2. The method of claim 1, the dynamically signaled message further including a resource assignment indicating the available time and frequency domain network resource.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: selecting, by the first device, the available time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources, the selecting being in accordance with the reservation indicator.
 4. The method of claim 1, the dynamically signaled message comprising a downlink control information (DCI) message.
 5. The method of claim 1, the reservation indicator comprising a single bit indicator associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.
 6. The method of claim 5, the reservation indicator being equal to 1 indicating the time and frequency domain network resource being available.
 7. The method of claim 5, the reservation indicator being equal to 0 indicating following the reservation information associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.
 8. The method of claim 1, the reservation information comprising a bitmap associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.
 9. The method of claim 8, the bitmap being 20 bits or a 80 bits in length.
 10. The method of claim 1, the reservation indicator comprising two bits, a first bit corresponding to a first subframe of a slot, and a second bit corresponding to a second subframe of the slot.
 11. The method of claim 8, the reservation information comprising the bitmap with each bit of the bitmap corresponding to a symbol of a slot.
 12. The method of claim 11, the bitmap comprising 7 bits.
 13. The method of claim 1, the first device comprising a user equipment (UE) and the second device comprising an access node.
 14. The method of claim 1, the time and frequency domain network resources comprising physical resource blocks (PRBs) or sets of PRBs.
 15. A method comprising: sending, by a first device to a second device, a higher layer message including reservation information for time and frequency domain network resources available for communications using a plurality of wireless communication protocols; sending, by the first device to the second device, a dynamically signaled message including a reservation indicator indicating a reservation status of a time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources for communications using a wireless communication protocol; and communicating, by the first device, using machine type communications using the wireless communication protocol, the communicating being in accordance with the reservation indicator.
 16. The method of claim 15, the dynamically signaled message further including a resource assignment indicating an available time and frequency domain network resource, and the communicating occurring over the available time and frequency domain network resource.
 17. The method of claim 15, the reservation indicator comprising a single bit indicator associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.
 18. The method of claim 17, the reservation indicator being equal to 1 indicating the time and frequency domain network resource being available.
 19. The method of claim 17, the reservation indicator being equal to 0 indicating following the reservation information associated with the time and frequency domain network resources.
 20. The method of claim 15, the reservation information comprising a bitmap associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.
 21. A first device comprising: one or more processors; and a non-transitory memory storage comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first device to: receive, from a second device, a higher layer message including reservation information for time and frequency domain network resources available for communications using a plurality of wireless communication protocols; receive, from the second device, a dynamically signaled message including a reservation indicator indicating a reservation status of a time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources for communications using a wireless communication protocol; and communicate using machine type communications over the wireless communication protocol, communicating using the machine type communications occurring over an available time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources.
 22. The first device of claim 21, the dynamically signaled message further including a resource assignment indicating the available time and frequency domain network resource.
 23. The first device of claim 21, the instructions further causing the first device to: select the available time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources, the available time and frequency domain network resource being selected in accordance with the reservation indicator.
 24. The first device of claim 21, the reservation indicator comprising a single bit indicator associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.
 25. The first device of claim 21, the reservation indicator being equal to 1 indicating the reservation status of the time and frequency domain network resource being available.
 26. The first device of claim 24, the reservation indicator being equal to 0 indicating following the reservation information associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.
 27. The first device of claim 21, the reservation indicator comprising a bitmap associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.
 28. A first device comprising: one or more processors; and a non-transitory memory storage comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first device to: send, to a second device, a higher layer message including reservation information for time and frequency domain network resources available for communications using a plurality of wireless communication protocols; send, to the second device, a dynamically signaled message including a reservation indicator indicating a reservation status of a time and frequency domain network resource from the time and frequency domain network resources for communications using a wireless communication protocol; and communicate using machine type communications over the wireless communication protocol, communicating using the machine type communications being in accordance with the reservation indicator.
 29. The first device of claim 28, the dynamically signaled message further including a resource assignment indicating an available time and frequency domain network resource, and communicating using the machine type communications occurring over the available time and frequency domain network resource.
 30. The first device of claim 28, the reservation indicator comprising a single bit indicator associated with the time and frequency domain network resource.
 31. The first device of claim 30, the reservation indicator being equal to 1 indicating the time and frequency domain network resource being available.
 32. The first device of claim 30, the reservation indicator being equal to 0 indicating following the reservation information associated with the time and frequency domain network resources.
 33. The first device of claim 28, the reservation information comprising a bitmap associated with the time and frequency domain network resource. 